nda successors and assigns

Getting Rid of the “Successors and Assigns” Provision

17 June 2013 18 September 2006 | Ken Adams

[ Update June 17, 2013:  Go  here  for the June 15, 2013 post about my article  It’s Time to Get Rid of the “Successors and Assigns” Provision .]

[ Update April 12, 2013: For more recent posts about the “successors and assigns” provision, see “The ‘Successors and Assigns’ and Successor Liability” ( here ) and “The Illinois Appellate Court’s Problematic Take on the Traditional Recital of Consideration and ‘Successors and Assigns’ Provisions” ( here ).]

A standard ingredient of contract boilerplate is the “successors and assigns” provision. Here’s what a run-of-the-mill successors and assigns provision looks like:

This agreement is binding upon, and inures to the benefit of, the parties and their respective permitted successors and assigns.

I’ve long considered the successors and assigns provision to be one of the abiding mysteries of contract drafting. After some research, I’ve decided to dispense with it. Allow me to explain why:

(For purposes of the following discussion, bear in mind that an assignment occurs when one party transfers to a nonparty its right to receive the other party’s performance. The transferring party is the “assignor”; the nonparty to whom the right is assigned is the “assignee”; and the party who must perform in favor of the assignee is the “nonassigning party.”)

When I want to research a contract provision that constitutes boilerplate, I generally start by consulting Negotiating and Drafting Contract Boilerplate (Tina L. Stark ed. 2003). That’s what I did in this case—it has a chapter devoted to the successors and assigns provision.

According to Tina’s book, the case law suggests that the successors and assigns provision could have up to five different functions. (That courts should have read so much into the successors and assigns provision suggests how problematic it is.) I list these ostensible functions below, along with my take on them.

1. To Bind an Assignee to Perform: According to Tina’s book, some courts have held that a successors and assigns provision in a contract binds the assignee of any rights under that contract to perform the assignor’s obligations under that contract. But such a holding is inconsistent with accepted law. Privity of contract dictates that whether the assignee assumes the assignor’s obligations would be a function of whether the assignee has agreed to do so. See 9-48 Corbin on Contracts § 871 (“But if the assignee is held to be bound by a legal duty to render the service, it will be because he expressed an intention to assume it when he took the assignment.”) The contract between the assignor and the nonassigning party would have no bearing on the issue, and a successors and assigns provision in that contract would be ineffective as a means of binding the assignee of any rights under that contract to perform the assignor’s obligations under that contract.

2. To Bind a Nonassigning Party: Tina’s book says that a second purpose of the successors and assigns provision is to restate common law to the effect that after an assignment, the nonassigning party is obligated to perform in favor of the assignee. This is indeed the common law. See 9-48 Corbin on Contracts § 870 (“The effectiveness of an assignment does not depend upon the assent of the obligor. If in other respects the assignment is good, his duty is now a duty to the assignee ….”). But why bother restating the common law? If a party is permitted to assign its rights under a contract, it’s obvious that the nonassigning party must perform in favor of the assignee—otherwise, being able to assign your rights would be of no value. Whereas it’s sometimes useful to state in a contract what would apply anyway—particularly when the parties might otherwise be unaware—doing so to this extent would seem excessive.

3. To Determine Whether Rights Are Assignable: Some courts have relied on the successors and assigns provision to determine whether a party may assign its rights under a contract. It’s standard practice to address that issue in a separate section; if you do so, you certainly wouldn’t need the inscrutable language of a successors and assigns provision, too. And if you don’t address assignment in a separate section, you’d be advised to dispense with the successors and assigns provision, lest a court look there for guidance on assignment.

4. To Determine Whether Performance Is Delegable: And some courts have relied on the successors and assigns provision to determine whether a party may delegate its obligations under a contract. The same considerations apply in this context as apply to the question of whether rights are assignable.

5. To Bind the Parties to the Contract: If you take at face value the traditional language of a successors and assigns provision, it indicates that the parties intend to be legally bound. Such a statement would be ineffective, as it isn’t a condition to enforceability of a contract that the parties have, or explicitly express, an intent to be legally bound. See MSCD 2.29 and Farnsworth on Contracts § 3.7.

So, to summarize, here’s what I think, from the drafter’s perspective, of the five ostensible functions of a successors and assigns provision: (1) ineffective; (2) too obvious; (3) wrong place to address this issue; (4) wrong place to address this issue; and (5) ineffective.

Tina’s book suggests that the problem with the traditional successors and assigns provision is that “the provision is so truncated that its objectives are veiled.” I, on the other hand, think that the problem is that it’s a provision without a useful purpose. That raises the question of how it has come to be a fixture in contracts.

Whenever you have a contract provision that serves no useful purpose and is incoherent to boot, somehow that helps ensure its survival—because drafters are unsure what function it serves, they’re loath to delete it. Take, for instance, the traditional recital of consideration—even though it serves no purpose ( MSCD 2.63–71 and this article ), you can still find it in a large proportion of contracts. I suggest that this phenomenon helps explain why the traditional successors and assigns provision hasn’t been put out of its misery.

Tina’s book offers an alternative successors and assigns provision, one that ostensibly “clarifies the provision’s purpose and application.” But the first two subsections of the alternative provision—the other two address ancillary matters—serve to perform two of the five ostensible functions described earlier in the chapter, namely functions 2 and 1, respectively. So while the alternative provision may serve to clarify its purpose, that’s of little use if one purpose would be to state the obvious and the other would be ineffective.

So you’d be better off omitting the successors and assigns provision from your drafting. It serves no useful purpose, it’s confusing, and its incoherence gives courts leeway to find in it what they want to find. And reworking it to make it clearer would only serve to make more apparent the lack of a useful purpose.

About the author

Ken Adams is the leading authority on how to say clearly whatever you want to say in a contract. He’s author of  A Manual of Style for Contract Drafting , and he offers online and in-person training around the world. He’s also chief content officer of LegalSifter, Inc., a company that combines artificial intelligence and expertise to assist with review of contracts.

26 thoughts on “Getting Rid of the “Successors and Assigns” Provision”

Let me suggest a possible purpose for the “successors and assigns” clause – a variation on #1: To assure that, if either party sells all or substantially all of its assets (or merges into another firm), the asset sale (or merger agreement) will include a clause specifically committing the purchaser (or successor-in-interest) to continue performing the contract.

To be sure, the clause itself would have to be amended to make that purpose clear.

Robert: The provision you mention could indeed be a helpful one, but as you suggest you can’t possibly get there through the standard “successors and assigns” provision. Ken

I had assumed (and now question) that ‘permitted successors’ addressed the issue of a contracting party changing legal form (e.g., changing from an LLC to an S-corp).

Nestor: Often the first words out of a drafter’s mouth after any drafting mishap are “I assumed ….” :-) Ken

Ken, I think your article focuses too much on the ‘assigns’ part of the clause. A possible context where the ‘successors and assigns’ clause may be meaningful is in mergers: the company (A) that is merged into another (B) ceases to exist and its contractual relationships devolve upon the the company it is merged into (B). This is not an assignment and is therefore outside the scope of the section where you define whether consent is required. I am not an American lawyer but this would be treated under the law applicable in my country (Portugal) as a ‘legal succession’ and the clause would therefore clarify that the other party to a contract with (A) that includes such clause keeps all rights and obligations vis-a-vis company B. Luis

Luis: You’re seeking to attribute to the “successors and assigns” provision a function that would be redundant for contract purposes: under state statutory law, if Company A merges into Company B, Company B automatically assumes all Company A’s obligations.

And secondarily, as I explained in my original post, a contract between Company A and some other party would be an unpromising vehicle for imposing obligations on Company B.

Ken, I am very happy that I came across your article — I was actually researching this issue myself with respect to the scenario suggested above by Robert Sonenthal. In the matter I was recently working on there was a provision in a contract that was binding on the purchaser of a business and its “successors and assigns.” That party is now selling the business and the question was raised as to whether that provision would be binding on the new buyers in the context of an asset purchase agreement. In my view, the draftsman of the original contract may have had the intention of binding all future successors in interest, but this was not specified in the original contract. As you note in your response to Robert Sonenthal (which I agree with), I don’t see how you would be able to bind a future purchaser with the standard “successors and assigns” provision alone. Your article provided excellent authority in an area that most practioners do not stop to think about – thank you!

All of your points are all well-taken, rational and coherent; conceptually hard to argue with. That being said, I defer to what has worked, and continues to work, for me, which is the standard clause. Practicality is key to my practice. In my 25 years of law practice on behalf executives worldwide, I’ve found the standard successors-and-assigns clause, coupled with a cautionary reminder to general counsel of the employer that he/she should advise successors/assigns of this important obligation, or be potentially considered to have withheld material information, has gotten my clients where they want to go. In court, too, I’ve enforced the standard clause upon acquiring entities on a “knew or should have known with reasonable due diligence” argument. Though potentially rife with risks and imperfections, the standard clause invites universal acceptance, and generally works.

Al Sklover, SkloverWorkingWisdom.com

Al: When you look at change from the perspective of the needs of any given lawyer, change can seem counterproductive, even downright scary: expedience is the order of the day. But I have the luxury of looking at change from a broader perspective, and in that context, all that matters is your suggestion that my points are conceptually hard to argue with. If we fix the language of business contracts, life will be much simpler for the next generation of lawyers. Ken

I’ve given careful consideration to your thoughts. Are we to accept that the highest purpose is simplicity for lawyers (our generation or the next)? Although it has been said that “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication,” it is not, to my mind, the ultimate purpose. I don’t think I find change to be either counterproductive or scary; rather, I do seek every possible advantage for my clients, actual or perceived, for they are often the same. I think the highest purpose of the law is the welfare of humankind, however messy, disorderly or complicated that may be. Al Sklover

Al: Making order out of chaos is certainly a noble endeavour, but not if the lawyer is the one making the mess. I see plenty of advantages, and no disadvantages, to eliminating a profoundly confused provision and accomplishing the client’s goals more directly. Ken

Ken –

Could not another purpose of the clause be to prevent the non-assigning party from arguing it has no contractual privity with a successor or assignee in an action by the assignee to enforce the contract? Especially where another boilerplate provision typically provides that there are no third party beneficiaries to the contract, it would seem the “inure to the benefit of” clause still has value here.

Jim: I believe that you’re referring to reason number 2 above. Ken

• Pingback: AdamsDrafting » Blog Archive » Excluding Consequential Damages Is a Bad Idea

What about the case where one or more of the parties to the agreement are individuals, one of the parties dies, the agreement does not contain the successors and assigns provision (is completely silent on this issue), and the agreement does contain a restrictive covenant (non-compete/non-solicit/non-disparagement) provision. Would the restrictive covenant be enforceable against the estate of the deceased party—even if the agreement otherwise terminates on the death of a party?

And how does your suggestion gel with the recent decision of the Supreme Court of Ohio: Acordia of Ohio, L.L.C. v. Fishel, Slip Opinion No. 2012-Ohio-2297?

I completely agree 100% with your posts and comments. I am a transactional attorney for a large bank (Big Bank) that recently acquired a smaller bank (Small Bank). Small Bank has a lot of master agreements with customers, and my documentation clients always ask me if it is ok to execute new schedules under Small Bank's master agreements. I always tell them yes, that we are now the party to that contract as successor to Small Bank. Imagine my surprise when I came across this article. I think this is just bad court decision, but don't you find it concerning? Would love to hear your thoughts. http://skloverworkingwisdom.com/blog/index.php/th …

If this provision is included in a rental agreement, and one day some lawyer emails me saying they’re representing the landlord, is that enough. Shouldn’t the landlord hv to tell me first. How do I know they’re really representing the landlord, if I wasn’t told by them. Also, my lease has a non- reliance clause stating- Both Tenant & Landlord acknowledge that they have not received or relied upon any statements or representation or promises or agreements or inducements by either Broker or their agents which are not expressly stipulated herein. If not contained herein, such statements, representations, promises, or agreements shall be of no force or effect.This non-reliance clause shall not prevent recovery in tort for fraud or negligent misrepresentation or intentional misrepresentation. Blah blah blah. There’s more, but I’m not sure its relevant. . What happend to me is a complete retaliation. Besides my landlord breaching a few sections of our lease & a cpl laws. He has 1 of the best lawyers. They just pretty much almost & might be able to evict me. Though my 1 year lease was up July 31, my lease says it will continue month to month. The owners of my condo also emailed me that. But, I had a huge problem being exposed to mold. I was deathly ill for 6 + months. I hv a compromised immune system & am on disability. I was fighting with them for a cpl months to properly remove the effects areas. Finally, I gave them a certified letter giving them th 14 day remediation time. Thats when this lawyer- no it was the lawyers secretary- sent me, just an email, stating several outright lies, that I hv proof of, horrible insinuations, & then told me my lease will not continue to go month to month– OBVIOUS RETALIATION. I paid for Aug, through certified mail. They sent the check back with a letter stating I need to leave. Then they were evicting me for non payment. The judge wldnt even look at any of my proof. I’m disables, my son( lives in Pa) just lost his baby( I had to go back), my rib went out of place twice- this all in July. I’m in myrtle beach, by myself. He still only gave me only 3 days to get out. I cldnt believe it. Disabled & nowhere to go. They were delaying me in finding a place by doing this & something else in April. Anyway, with very bad advice from the S.C.L.S( they cldnt even get who was the plaintif & who was the defendant right), I was like a half hour from getting the appeal filed in time. The Sherriff said, too bad, I had to get out. Well, after an hour of crying, nowhere to go & nowhere to put my things, they finally let me file the appeal. Not sure its going to work though…… ….. Sorry, for the book, just to ask one question. Any help wld be very much appreciated.

I think it is pretty much same as the World Bank Sanctions Procedues, which contains Successors and Assigns Clause (Section 9.04. (c)). The difference is that Parties in the latter case may appeal against the decision of the Bank to impose sanctions on certain successor or assignee.

I read a great deal of deeds and easements in the course of my work. I assumed that “successors and assigns” preserves the chain of custody of real property and the conditions of the deed unless it is changed in subsequent deeds. For example, a landowner grants an easement to Bell Telephone company in 1964, which is recorded on the deed. The property changes hands 3-4 times, but the easement still exists because the subsequent owners are successors. In addition, the “Bell” companies merge and change their name to Verizon. It’s still their easement, even if it is not re-recorded. This has been the case as far back as I have read deeds in my county (1920’s). Does this not have merit in that case, or is this different than what you are referring to? I would agree that in contracts for services (ie – construction), “successors and assigns” is fairly weaker and should not take the place of enumerating who you are trying to oblige. But when you don’t know who the parties may be, I probably wouldn’t leave out.

When considering the function that a contract provision serves, a good rule is “Assume nothing.” Beyond that, drafters have the power and the responsibility to address any issue clearly and directly. If you want to accomplish something relating to the chain of custody of real property (a subject I know nothing about), address it directly instead of by using a mystery phrase like “successors and assigns.”

sounds patriartifcal.

“But why bother restating the common law?”

Because the common law changes, and varies from country to country. If you intend for the contract to last a really, really long time (certain contracts involving land and institutions have lasted for over 500 years and survived complete changes of government and even of the underlying legal system), you really want the interpretation to be in the contract so that it will outlast changes of the common law.

Looks like caselaw in employment contracts may be against you on #1.

https://skloverworkingwisdom.com/the-successors-and-assigns-clause-without-it-all-can-be-lost/

Some better-written samples in corporate law — specifically, ones which cover transfers of “substantially all of the business or assets of” a company: https://www.lawinsider.com/clause/successor-to-company

And it appears to matter massively in the question of whether an estate is obligated to perform duties of the contractor, again a case of #1 — the executor *can* be bound by the contract:

https://www.americanbar.org/groups/real_property_trust_estate/publications/probate-property-magazine/2019/january-february/can-boilerplate-raise-contracts-the-dead-the-grave/

It seems like this really shouldn’t be boilerplate, because the courts appear to have a history of ignoring the boilerplate.

But it also seems that it’s exceptionally important to specifically say what is and isn’t binding on successors and assigns. I wouldn’t leave it out, but you need much better boilerplate than the one quoted here.

That provision is in a waiver my father is being asked to sign, indicating he will not sue the driving examiner he will be in the car with during a pandemic. He did not ask to have this test. He is being told to take the test. In this situation I assume this means they are asking him to sign away rights for his whole family? Is that legal? Thanks

Would successors and assigns phrase apply to a lessee?

Or would you need to have subsidiaries and affiliates?

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

The voice that matters.

Innovative scholarship. Extensive writings. Hundreds of  Drafting Clearer Contracts  presentations around the world. Commitment. That’s what makes Ken Adams the unmatched authority on clearer contract language.

164 Brompton Road Garden City, NY 11530-1432

(516) 318-6956

[email protected]

© 2024 Kenneth A. Adams

Don't underestimate the boilerplate

• February 2, 2004

Have you ever wished you could write your own laws?

Generally, when a business negotiates a contract, it is analogous to writing its own laws. In many instances, a business can negotiate contractual terms that will supersede the law that would be imposed if the contract were silent. However, in contract negotiations, many businesses will only focus on certain contract provisions, setting the other provisions aside as simply legal jargon or contract boilerplate.

Businesses focus on the business terms, such as exactly what services or products are going to be provided, when they will be provided and how they will be delivered. These essential terms and conditions are then placed in a contract cushioned with various legal terms, which are meant to protect the parties if something goes wrong in the performance of the agreement.

In negotiating the business terms, the parties may review thoroughly certain legal terms that have an important effect on the business of a party. For example, a provider of a consulting service would strongly negotiate to retain the ownership rights to services and advice it provides to clients. If it does not protect its ownership rights in its services, it will be forestalled from providing that same service to another client.

Clients hire consultants based on their experience and know-how. Giving one client ownership rights in such know-how could be fatal to a consulting business.

As another example, a company might negotiate strongly the confidentiality provisions of an agreement if it is bidding to provide low-cost services to a client for a project. That company will not want its proposal, containing its prices and services, to be copied by a competitor, which would give that competitor an advantage in the bidding process.

Even thought these business and legal terms are the focal point and essence of the contract, the miscellaneous legal boilerplate terms can be just as important — sometimes more important — should something go awry. This article will focus on the effect under Georgia law of several boilerplate terms that may be overlooked in contract negotiations — severability, assignment and successors and assigns provisions.

These are just a few provisions that may impact the parties in an agreement. It is important to review the entire contract, even the seemingly insignificant boilerplate terms, to ensure that the parties have truly reached an agreement and understand their risks under that agreement.

Severability

Despite the great power a business has to create the law that will govern its agreements, it comes with limits; not all contract provisions are enforceable. Even though a business may negotiate a provision, such a provision might be unenforceable if it violates a statute or is otherwise illegal, violates public policy or was later modified by the parties.

Faulty provisions in a contract can make the whole contract fail. To protect against failure of the entire contract, most will contain a severability clause such as the following: “In the event that any part or provision of this agreement is declared fully or partially invalid, unlawful or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, the remainder of the part or provision and the agreement will remain in full force and effect, if the essential terms and conditions of this agreement for each party remain valid, binding and enforceable.”

In Circle Appliance Leasing Inc. v. Appliance Warehouse Inc. , the Georgia Court of Appeals held that a covenant not to compete was severable from the remainder of the agreement because the agreement also contained a severability clause. The severability clause specifically provided that if any provision of the agreement was unenforceable, such unenforceable clause would be severed without invalidating the remainder of the agreement.

It did not contain the language from the sample severability provision above. Because of the severability clause, the court held the remainder of the contract enforceable, even though the consultants admitted that the consideration for their promise to render consulting services consisted not only of monetary payments but also the covenant not to compete.

This case substantiates the impact a contract boilerplate provision may have on a party to an agreement. Had the parties evaluated in negotiations the effect of the agreement’s severability clause, they might have realized that even if an essential term of the contract was declared unenforceable, the parties would still be bound to the remainder of the agreement.

If the parties had negotiated to include in the severability clause in the sample provision above, the court might have reached a different conclusion if it found the covenant not to compete an essential condition of the agreement.

Another boilerplate provision which may trump the law is in the “assignment of rights and delegation of obligations” provision. In Georgia, if an agreement is silent with regard to assignment and delegation, a party may assign its rights under the agreement and, as long as personal skill is not required, may delegate its obligations under the agreement. However, once an agreement contains a provision regarding assignment or delegation, that provision will likely control.

Just as with other boilerplate provisions, “no assignment” provisions should be carefully drafted to ensure a party has the opportunity to consent to the assignment of the other party’s rights or obligations under the contract. In order to fully protect a party, the provisions must preclude assigning rights under the agreement, not just assigning the agreement. Furthermore, it is important for the provision to void the contract if a party assigns any obligation or right.

In addition, the contracting parties may want to preclude transfers by operation of law in the agreement. The Supreme Court of Georgia recently decided in Ward v. City of Cairo that the transfer of a business’s rights to a successor business is not encompassed in the definition of assignment.

Therefore, without a specifically drafted assignment provision, a party may still be bound to an agreement with a different party should the original party to the agreement be sold or merged with another company. The following is an effective standard nonassignability clause, which takes into account transfers by operation of law, as well as voluntary transfers: “No party may assign any of its rights under this agreement, voluntarily or involuntarily, whether by merger, consolidation, dissolution, operation of law or any other manner, without the written consent of the other party. Any purported assignment of rights in violation of subsection (a) is void.”

Nonassignability clauses can have a major effect on a party’s rights under an agreement. For example, in Forest Commodity Corp. v. Lone Star Industries Inc. , an agreement between a mining company and a storage company contained a standard clause prohibiting assignment unless the other party consented. The storage company assigned its interests and obligations to another company without the consent of the mining company.

The court found this to be a repudiation of the contract and a material breach. Because the storage company in effect repudiated the agreement, the court found that it was stopped from enforcing other provisions of the agreement. The storage company’s rights to recover under the agreement were extinguished.

Successors and assigns

Another boilerplate provision that correlates with the assignment provision is the “successors and assigns” clause. A typical successors and assigns clause simply states, “This agreement is binding upon, and inures to the benefit of, the parties and their respective successors and assigns.”

The purpose of a successors clause is to bind a business’ successors or assigns to the terms of the agreement in the event of a transfer. The Georgia Court of Appeals, however, has interpreted the successors and assigns clause to also be an advance consent to the assignment or delegation of the agreement.

In order to avoid this interpretation, a better drafting of the successors and assigns clause, taking into account the existence of an assignment and delegation provision, is as follows: “This agreement inures to the benefit of and is binding upon the parties, their respective successors in interest by way of merger, acquisition, or otherwise, and their permitted assigns. This section does not address, directly or indirectly, whether a party may assign its rights or delegate its performance under this agreement. Section [insert cross reference to the assignment and delegation provision] addresses these matters.”

The severability, assignment, and successors and assigns provisions are just a few of the boilerplate provisions found in most contracts that are often overlooked. If not reviewed carefully during the negotiations, a business may find itself out of a contract that was crucial to its business or obligated to perform under conditions that are not agreeable to it.

Each provision should be reviewed and tailored to the specific needs and expectations of the parties. Businesses should take the opportunity to review and negotiate these boilerplate provisions because it is a time when they can proactively override the law, instead of simply being governed by it.

Sheila J. Baran is a construction and procurement associate at King & Spalding LLP. Reach her at (404) 572-2707 or [email protected] .

Sign Up For News In Your Market

Stay up-to-date with local business news and networking events from Smart Business. Sign up to receive advice from business professionals, or register for information on our networking events near you!

Sign Up Now

The April Digital Editions Are Now Available!

View this month’s Smart Business magazines on our easy to view, Digital Platform.

Click to View

835 SHARON DRIVE, SUITE 200, CLEVELAND, OH 44145  |  P: 440.250.7000 |   PRIVACY POLICY

One-Way Non-Disclosure Agreement

A one-way non-disclosure agreement (NDA) is a legal contract between at least two parties that outlines confidential material, knowledge, or information that the disclosing party wishes to share with the receiving party for purposes of an actual or potential relationship, but wishes to restrict access to or by third parties. As such, an NDA protects nonpublic business information.

ONE-WAY NON-DISCLOSURE AGREEMENT (NDA)

This Non-Disclosure Agreement, dated as of [ Date ] (the “Effective Date”) governs the disclosure of information by [ Company Name ] (the “Company”) to [ Recipient ] (the “Recipient”) for the purpose of exploring a potential business relationship (the “Purpose”).

1.     Confidential Information.   As used herein, “Confidential Information” shall mean any and all technical and non-technical information that Company provides Recipient, whether in graphic, electronic, written or oral form, and including but not limited to patent applications and other filings, trade secrets, and any other proprietary information, as well as any ideas, techniques, sketches, drawings, works of authorship, models, inventions, know-how, processes, algorithms, software programs, documents, and formulae related to the current, future, and proposed products and services of Company, and also any information concerning any research, experimental work, development, design details and specifications, engineering, financial information, purchasing, customer lists, investors, employees, business and contractual relationships, business forecasts, sales and merchandising, or marketing plans of Company and any information Company provides regarding third parties.

2.     Non-Disclosure.   Recipient agrees that at all times and notwithstanding any termination or expiration of this Agreement it will hold in strict confidence and not disclose to any third party any Confidential Information except as approved in writing in advance by Company, and will use the Confidential Information for no purpose other than the Purpose.  Recipient shall only permit access to Confidential Information to those of its employees or authorized representatives having a need to know and who have signed confidentiality agreements or are otherwise bound by confidentiality obligations at least as restrictive as those contained herein.

3.     Notice of Disclosure.   Recipient shall immediately notify Company upon discovery of any loss or unauthorized disclosure of the Confidential Information.

4.     Use of Confidential Information.   All Confidential Information is provided “AS IS,” without any warranty of any kind.  Recipient recognizes and agrees that nothing contained in this Agreement shall be construed as granting it any property rights, by license or otherwise, to any Confidential Information, or to any invention or any patent, copyright, trademark, or other intellectual property right that has issued or that may issue, based on such Confidential Information.  Recipient shall not make, have made, use or sell for any purpose any product or service or other item using, incorporating or derived from any Confidential Information, nor make any filings or registrations based on the receipt or use of the Confidential Information, absent separate written approval of Company.

5.     No Reproduction.   Confidential Information shall not be reproduced in any form except as required to accomplish the intent of this Agreement.  Any reproduction of any Confidential Information shall remain the property of Company and shall contain any and all confidential or proprietary notices or legends which appear on the original.

6.     Term.   This Agreement shall terminate three (3) years after the Effective Date, or may be terminated by either party at any time upon thirty (30) days written notice to the other party; provided, however, Recipient’s obligations under this Agreement shall survive termination of the Agreement between the parties and shall be binding upon the Recipient’s heirs, successors and assigns. Upon termination or expiration of the Agreement, or upon written request of Company, Recipient shall promptly return to the Company all documents and other tangible materials representing the Confidential Information and all copies thereof.

7.     Miscellaneous.

7.1.   Amendments and Waivers.  Any term of this Agreement may be amended or waived only with the written consent of the Company.

7.2.   Sole Agreement.  The Agreement sets forth the complete, exclusive and final statement of the agreement between the parties as to the subject matter hereof and supersedes all prior and contemporaneous agreements, understandings, negotiations and discussions, whether oral or written, between the parties regarding such subject matter.

7.3.   Notices.  Any notice required or permitted by this Agreement shall be in writing and shall be deemed sufficient upon delivery, when delivered personally or by overnight courier or sent by email or fax (upon customary confirmation of receipt), or forty-eight (48) hours after being deposited in the U.S. mail as certified or registered mail with postage prepaid, addressed to the party to be notified at such party’s address or fax number as set forth on the signature page or as subsequently modified by written notice.

7.4.   Choice of Law.  The validity, interpretation, construction and performance of this Agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of [ Company Home State ], without giving effect to the principles of conflict of laws.

7.5.   Severability.  If one or more provisions of this Agreement are held to be unenforceable under applicable law, the parties agree to renegotiate such provision in good faith.  In the event that the parties cannot reach a mutually agreeable and enforceable replacement for such provision, then (i) such provision shall be excluded from this Agreement, (ii) the balance of the Agreement shall be interpreted as if such provision were so excluded and (iii) the balance of the Agreement shall be enforceable in accordance with its terms.

7.6.   Counterparts.  This Agreement may be executed in counterparts, each of which shall be deemed an original, but all of which together will constitute one and the same instrument.

7.7.   Assignment . Recipient will not assign or transfer any rights or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of Company.  Any such assignment without prior consent shall be null and void from the beginning.  Recipient shall not export, directly or indirectly, any technical data acquired from Company pursuant to this Agreement or any product utilizing any such data to any country for which the U.S. Government or any agency thereof at the time of export requires an export license or other governmental approval without first obtaining such license or approval.

7.8.   Dispute Resolution.   Recipient agrees that upon Company’s request, all disputes arising hereunder shall be adjudicated in the state and federal courts having jurisdiction over disputes arising in [ Company Home County ],[ Company Home State ] and Recipient hereby agrees to consent to the personal jurisdiction of such courts.

7.9.   Advice of Counsel.  EACH PARTY ACKNOWLEDGES THAT, IN EXECUTING THIS AGREEMENT, SUCH PARTY HAS HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO SEEK THE ADVICE OF INDEPENDENT LEGAL COUNSEL, AND HAS READ AND UNDERSTOOD ALL OF THE TERMS AND PROVISIONS OF THIS AGREEMENT.  THIS AGREEMENT SHALL NOT BE CONSTRUED AGAINST ANY PARTY BY REASON OF THE DRAFTING OR PREPARATION HEREOF.

In Witness Whereof, the parties hereto have caused this Non-Disclosure Agreement to be executed as of the Effective Date.

[ Company Name ]

By: ____________________  Sign Here Title:___________________ Date:

[ Recipient ] By:____________________  Sign Here Address: [ Recipient Address ]

Any [ GREEN ] highlighted language is intended to be filled in by the user. Any [ YELLOW ] highlighted language is considered optional or conditional by the attorney community. Consult with an attorney before using this document. This document is not a substitute for legal advice or services. Refer to our Terms of Use for more details.

This form has been prepared for general informational purposes only. It does not constitute legal advice, advertising, a solicitation, or tax advice. Transmission of this form and the information contained herein is not intended to create, and receipt thereof does not constitute formation of, an attorney-client relationship. You should not rely upon this document or information for any purpose without seeking legal advice from an appropriately licensed attorney, including without limitation to review and provide advice on the terms of this form, the appropriate approvals required in connection with the transactions contemplated by this form, and any securities law and other legal issues contemplated by this form or the transactions contemplated by this form.

Hire the top business lawyers and save up to 60% on legal fees

Content Approved by UpCounsel

• Atlanta Business Lawyers
• Austin Business Lawyers
• Boston Business Lawyers
• Chicago Business Lawyers
• Dallas Business Lawyers
• Houston Business Lawyers
• Los Angeles Business Lawyers
• New York Business Lawyers
• Philadelphia Business Lawyers
• San Francisco Business Lawyers
• Seattle Business Lawyers
• Charlotte Business Lawyers
• Denver Business Lawyers
• Jacksonville Business Lawyers
• Las Vegas Business Lawyers
• Phoenix Business Lawyers
• Portland Business Lawyers
• San Antonio Business Lawyers
• San Diego Business Lawyers
• San Jose Business Lawyers
• View All Business Lawyers

Download Document

Located in the U.S.?

Not located in the u.s., optional, will help us get you started faster.

LEGAL NOTICE: We strongly suggest you have this document customized to your unique situation, because you might require additional clause(s) to better protect your business from potential legal issues.

LEGAL NOTICE: We strongly suggest you customize this document to suit you or your client's unique situation. You may require additional clause(s) to better protect you or your client’s business from potential legal issues.

Want to grow your practice?

Create your profile today and gain access to free marketing and practice management tools. Once your profile is complete, you will be reviewed for the UpCounsel Marketplace where approved attorneys can find and manage new or existing clients.

If you do not see an email from UpCounsel in the next few minutes, please check your spam box. Add: [email protected] to your email address book. This will help ensure future email delivery.

Share this document

Send to your friends, partners or attorney..

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A “SUCCESSOR OR ASSIGN”

Tom Stilp JD, MBA/MM, LLM, MSC

According to Professor Ian Hurd at Northwestern University, Russia is not really a member of the UN Security Council because Russia is not a “successor” to the Soviet Union.   Hurd, I. (2022). “Russia is not a member of the UN Security Council,” Chi. Trib. §1, p. 7.

Under Article 23 of the UN Charter: “The Republic of China, France, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America shall be permanent members of the Security Council.”    But the Soviet Union dissolved in December, 1991.

Why do we care about “successors?”  Because the successor determines who is a party to an agreement – who benefits and who pays.

A clause providing for “successors and assigns” (the terms usually go together) is a common provision in all types of contracts, leases, purchase and sale agreements, and many other forms of agreements.  First, an assignment (assuming it is not prohibited under the agreement), is a voluntary action by one party transferring its rights and obligations to a 3 rd  party, usually someone outside the original agreement.  That 3 rd  party then “steps into the shoes” of the original party, as an “Assignee.”

A “successor,” however, is more broad.  A successor can be voluntary (as through an assignment), involuntary, or without any action on anyone’s part, as by operation of law.  A successor by operation of law occurs, for example, when one joint tenant on real estate dies and the interest of that joint tenant passes to the surviving joint tenant.  In the later case, the surviving joint tenant is the “successor” in interest to the deceased joint tenant, by operation of law, without any further action needed.

A typical “successor and assigns” clause will say in sum and substance that: “This Agreement and all of the rights [benefits] and obligations [what you have to do to get the benefits] shall inure [fancy word for “transfer”] to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties,  and their respective successors and assigns .”

Simply put, the successors and assigns are required to perform the agreement in the same manner, and to the same extent, that the parties would be required to perform it if no succession had taken place.

Having prepared thousands of agreements, and litigated issues involving “successors and assigns” in court, we can assist in all of your contract needs.

image cred: shutterstock

Related Posts

BOILERPLATE AND WHY LAWYERS USE IT

BURDEN OF PROOF IN CIVIL CASES – WHY SHOULD YOU CARE?

Stilp Business Law © 2017 All Rights Reserved   Privacy Policy

Patent (Invention) Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)

The patent non-disclosure agreement is not intended to prevent the disclosure of a U.S. patent; rather it is intended to prevent the disclosure of confidential information in a pending patent application, confidential know-how connected with a patent or application, or innovations or strategies that may become the basis of a patent application. You should use this agreement with a manufacturer, investor, contractor, prototype-maker, or invention agent. You cannot use this nondisclosure agreement to protect the contents of a patent granted by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). That’s because as part of the grant process, the patent is published and incorporated into the USPTO’s public database. Many patent applications are published 18 months after filing. All applications are published prior to issuance.

Patent (Invention) Non-Disclosure Agreement

This Patent (Invention) Non-Disclosure Agreement (the “Agreement”) is entered into by and between _______________ (“Disclosing Party”) and __________________ (“Receiving Party”). The parties agree to enter into a confidential relationship with respect to preventing the unauthorized disclosure of certain proprietary and confidential information (the “Confidential Information”), as defined below.

1.    Definition of Confidential Information (Written or Oral) For purposes of this Agreement, “Confidential Information” shall include all information or material that has or could have commercial value or other utility in the business in which Disclosing Party is engaged including, but not limited to information or data relating to an innovation or intellectual property developed or owned by Disclosing Party, as well as information in a pending patent application, confidential know-how connected with a patent or application, or innovations or strategies that may became the basis of a patent application. In the event that Confidential Information is in written form, the Disclosing Party shall label or stamp the materials with the word “Confidential” or some similar warning. In the event that Confidential Material is transmitted orally, the Disclosing Party shall promptly provide a writing indicating that such oral communication constituted Confidential Information.

2.     Exclusions From Confidential Information Receiving Party’s obligations under this Agreement shall not extend to information that is (a) publicly known at the time of disclosure under this Agreement or subsequently becomes publicly known through no fault of the Receiving Party; (b) discovered or created by the Receiving Party prior to the time of disclosure by Disclosing Party; or (c) otherwise learned by the Receiving Party through legitimate means other than from the Disclosing Party or anyone connected with the Disclosing Party.

3.     Obligations of Receiving Party The Receiving Party shall hold and maintain the Confidential Information of the other party in strictest confidence for the sole and exclusive benefit of the Disclosing Party. The Receiving Party shall carefully restrict access to any such Confidential Information to persons bound by this Agreement, only on a need-to-know basis. The Receiving Party shall not, without prior written approval of the Disclosing Party, use for the Receiving Party’s own benefit, publish, copy, or otherwise disclose to others, or permit the use by others for their benefit or to the detriment of the Disclosing Party, any of the Confidential Information. The Receiving Party shall return to Disclosing Party any and all records, notes, and other written, printed, or tangible materials in its possession pertaining to the Confidential Information immediately on the written request of Disclosing Party.

4.    Term This Agreement and Receiving Party’s duty to hold Confidential Information in confidence shall remain in effect until _________________ or until whichever of the following occurs first: (a) Disclosing Party sends Receiving Party written notice releasing it from this Agreement, or (b) Confidential Information disclosed under this Agreement ceases to be confidential.

5.     No Intellectual Property Rights Granted This Agreement does not constitute a grant or an intention or commitment to grant any right, title or interest in the Disclosing Party’s innovations, intellectual property, or the Confidential Information, to Receiving Party.

6.     General Provisions (a)    Relationships.  Nothing contained in this Agreement shall be deemed to constitute either party a partner, joint venturer or employee of the other party for any purpose. (b)   Severability.  If a court finds any provision of this Agreement invalid or unenforceable, the remainder of this Agreement shall be interpreted so as best to effect the intent of the parties. (c)    Integration.  This Agreement expresses the complete understanding of the parties with respect to the subject matter and supersedes all prior proposals, agreements, representations and understandings. This Agreement may not be amended except in a writing signed by both parties. (d)   Waiver. The failure to exercise any right provided in this Agreement shall not be a waiver of prior or subsequent rights. (e)    Injunctive Relief.  Any misappropriation of Confidential Information in violation of this Agreement may cause Disclosing Party irreparable harm, the amount of which may be difficult to ascertain, and therefore Receiving Party agrees that Disclosing Party shall have the right to apply to a court of competent jurisdiction for an order enjoining any such further misappropriation and for such other relief as Disclosing Party deems appropriate. This right of Disclosing Party is to be in addition to the remedies otherwise available to Disclosing Party. (f)     Attorney Fees and Expenses. In a dispute arising out of or related to this Agreement, the prevailing party shall have the right to collect from the other party its reasonable attorney fees and costs and necessary expenditures. (g)    Governing Law. This Agreement shall be governed in accordance with the laws of the State of _________________. (h)   Jurisdiction. The parties consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the federal and state courts located in _________________ in any action arising out of or relating to this Agreement. The parties waive any other venue to which either party might be entitled by domicile or otherwise. (i)     Successors & Assigns.  This Agreement shall bind each party’s heirs, successors and assigns. Receiving Party may not assign or transfer its rights or obligations under this Agreement without the prior written consent of Disclosing Party. However, no consent is required for an assignment or transfer that occurs: (a) to an entity in which Receiving Party owns more than fifty percent of the assets; or (b) as part of a transfer of all or substantially all of the assets of Receiving Party to any party. Any assignment or transfer in violation of this section shall be void.

Disclosing Party: _____________________________________________ (Signature) _____________________ (Typed or Printed Name) Title: _____________________ Date: _____________________

Receiving Party: _____________________________________________ (Signature) _____________________ (Typed or Printed Name) Title: _____________________ Date: _____________________

How to Write

Explanation for patent (invention) non-disclosure agreement.

Below we provide an explanation for each of the provisions in the Patent (Invention) Non-Disclosure Agreement. Introductory Paragraph Fill in your name or company name (you, the inventor or invention rights owner, are the disclosing party).  Fill in the name of the receiving party, that is, the individual or company considering a commercial transaction (for example, a potential manufacturer or invention agent).

1.      Definition of Confidential Information (Written or Oral) This section defines what is protected against disclosure. Keep in mind that if you are providing documentation, you should designate that information as confidential. If the information is spoken, you “shall promptly provide a writing indicating that such oral communication constituted Confidential Information.”

2.      Exclusions from Confidential Information This provision describes all the types of information that are not covered by the agreement. These exclusions are based on court decisions and state trade secret laws that say these types of information do not qualify for trade secret protection.

3.      Obligations of Receiving Party This clause makes clear that your trade secrets must be kept in confidence by the receiving party and may not be revealed to others without your prior written consent. The receiving party also promises to return materials that you provided.

4.      Term This clause provides the receiving party with an expiration date for the agreement. The Agreement should last as long as the information is likely to remain a trade secret. Five years is a common period, but it can be much shorter, even as little as six months.

5.      No Intellectual Property Rights Granted This clause makes clear that you are not granting any ownership rights in your intellectual property or the confidential informat­ion to the receiving party.

6.      General Provisions These miscellaneous provisions (sometimes referred to as “boilerplate”) are usually grouped together at the end of an agreement. (a)     Relationships. Most agreements include a provision like this one, disclaiming any relationship other than that defined in the agreement. (b)   Severability . The severability clause provides that if you wind up in a lawsuit over the agreement and a court rules that one part of the agreement is invalid, that part can be cut out and the rest of the agreement will remain valid. (c)    Integration. The integration provision verifies that the version you are signing is the final version, and that neither of you can rely on statements made in the past. (d)   Waiver. This provision states that even if you don’t promptly complain about a violation of the NDA, you still have the right to complain about it later. (e)    Injunctive Relief. An injunction is a court order directing a person to do (or stop doing) something. If someone violated your NDA, you would want a court order directing that person to stop using your secrets. (f)     Attorney Fees and Expenses. If you don’t include an attorney fees clause in your agreement, a judge may (in most states) order the award of attorney fees in cases where the theft of the trade secret was willful and malicious. It’s up to the judge, which makes things unpredictable. You are far better off using an attorney fees provision. However, don’t be surprised if the other party is opposed to the idea. Why? Because it is the receiving party that is usually sued, not vice-versa, and the receiving party may believe that the provision will encourage you to litigate. (g)    Governing Law. You can choose any state’s laws to govern the agreement, though the most logical state for this provision is the state where the property is located. (h)    Jurisdiction. The purpose of adding a jurisdiction provision to an NDA is to get each party to consent in advance to jurisdiction in one county or state and to give up the right to sue or be sued anywhere else. As with the previous provision, the most likely choice is the county in which the property is located. (i)      Successors and Assigns. This provision binds any company that acquires either party.

Signing the agreement. Someone with the necessary authority must sign the agreement on behalf of each party. Each party should sign two copies and keep one. This way, both parties have an original signed agreement.

Adobe PDF | Microsoft Word (.docx)

Related NDA's:

Thank you for downloading!

How would you rate your free form.

• Practical Law

General Contract Clauses: Successors and Assigns

Practical law standard clauses 3-523-8024  (approx. 8 pages).

• General Contract and Boilerplate
• United States

General Contract Clauses: Successors and Assigns

Practical law canada standard clauses 8-600-7685  (approx. 6 pages), get full access to this document with practical law.

Try free and see for yourself how Practical Law resources can enhance productivity, increase efficiency, and improve response times.

About Practical Law

This document is from Thomson Reuters Practical Law, the legal know-how that goes beyond primary law and traditional legal research to give lawyers a better starting point. We provide standard documents, checklists, legal updates, how-to guides, and more.

• Increase efficiency
• Enhance productivity
• Improve response time
• General Contract and Boilerplate
• Canada (Common Law)

Successors and assigns

Successors and assigns clause samples

7. Successors and Assigns. Subject to the restrictions on transfer described in Sections 9 and 10 below, the rights and obligations of the Company and Investor shall be binding upon and benefit the successors, assigns, heirs, administrators and transferees of the parties.

04/10/2020 (CLOUDASTRUCTURE, INC.)

6.8Assignment; Binding Effect. Neither this Agreement nor any right, remedy, obligation or liability arising hereunder or by reason hereof nor any of the documents executed in connection herewith may be assigned by any Party without the prior written consent of the other Parties. Except as provided in the previous sentence, this Agreement and all of the rights and obligations hereunder shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns . Any attempted assignment in violation of this Agreement shall be null and void.

05/11/2016 (GrowGeneration Corp.)

7.Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall bind and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the Participant, the Company and their respective permitted successors and assigns (including personal representatives, heirs and legatees), except that the Participant may not assign any rights or obligations under this Agreement except to the extent and in the manner expressly permitted herein.

03/01/2018 (Affinion Group Holdings, Inc.)

(ii)This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the Companies and their respective successors and assigns . The Companies will require any successor (whether direct or indirect, by purchase, merger, consolidation or otherwise) to all or substantially all of the business and/or assets of the Companies to assume expressly and agree to perform this Agreement in the same manner and to the same extent that the Companies would be required to perform it if no such succession had taken place. As used in this Agreement, “Companies” shall mean the Companies as hereinbefore defined and any successor to their business and/or assets as aforesaid that assumes and agrees to perform this Agreement by operation of law, or otherwise.

14. Successors and Assigns.This Amendment shall be binding upon Guarantor and its successors and assigns , and shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of Lender and its successors and assigns , including any subsequent holder of all or any portion of the Note.

03/01/2017 (Seritage Growth Properties)

SECTION3.01. Successors and Assigns. The provisions of this Amendment shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns . Neither party hereto may assign or otherwise transfer any of its rights under this Amendment, by operation of law or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the other party. Any assignment without such prior written consent shall be void.

06/11/2018 (BLACKROCK MUNIYIELD NEW JERSEY FUND, INC.)

SECTION2.01. Successors and Assigns. The provisions of this Amendment shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns . The assignment or otherwise transfer of any party’s rights under this Amendment shall be governed by Section7.05 of the VRDP Shares Purchase Agreement.

SECTION6.01. Successors and Assigns. This Amendment shall be binding upon, inure to the benefit of, and be enforceable by, the respective successors and assigns of each of the Fund and the Tender and Paying Agent. The assignment or otherwise transfer of any party’s rights under this Amendment shall be governed by Section7.06 of the Tender and Paying Agent Agreement.

Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties and their successors and assigns . Neither the Company not Puxin shall assign this Agreement or any rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the other parties.

05/15/2019 (APEX RESOURCES INC/NV)

The Fund’s investment advisor has contractually agreed to reimburse Fund expenses through March1, 2022 to the extent necessary so that Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses (excluding taxes, interest, short interest, short dividend expenses, brokerage commissions, acquired fund fees and expenses, and extraordinary expenses, if any) of ClassA, ClassC, and ClassI are limited to 1.15%, 1.90%, and 0.90% of average net assets, respectively. Calamos Advisors may recapture previously waived expense amounts within the same fiscal year for any day where the respective Fund’s expense ratio falls below the contractual expense limit up to the expense limit for that day. This undertaking is binding on CALAMOS ADVISORS and any of its successors and assigns . This agreement is not terminable by either party.

06/29/2018 (CALAMOS INVESTMENT TRUST/IL)

Section 12.17Successors and Assigns.This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of Borrowers and Agent and each Lender and their respective successors and permitted assigns.

08/15/2016 (Goodman Networks Inc)

1.10 SUCCESSORS AND ASSIGNS . For purposes of this Agreement, "Successors and Assigns" shall mean a corporation or other entity acquiring all or substantially all the assets and business of the Company (including this Agreement) whether by operation of law or otherwise.

08/29/2017 (Advanced Environmental Petroleum Producers Inc.)

5.3 Binding Provisions; Assignment. This Agreement will be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties and, except as provided herein, their respective successors and assigns . This Agreement may not be assigned by any Party without the prior consent of the other Party. Any attempt to assign this Agreement in a manner prohibited by this Section 5.3 will be void.

08/21/2017 (APPLIANCE RECYCLING CENTERS OF AMERICA INC /MN)

Section 10.07 Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and shall inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and permitted assigns. Neither party may assign its rights or obligations hereunder without the prior written consent of the other party, which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld or delayed. No assignment shall relieve the assigning party of any of its obligations hereunder.

10.5. Successors and Assigns. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, the provisions of this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the successors, assigns, heirs, executors, and administrators of the parties; provided, however, that (a)the Company shall not assign this Agreement or any of its rights herein to any Person without the prior written consent of each Investor, and (b)each Investor shall not assign this Agreement or any of its rights herein to any Person without the prior written consent of the Company, provided further, however, that each Investor shall be entitled to assign this Agreement or any of its rights herein to any of its Affiliates without the prior written consent of the Company.

06/21/2018 (ZTO Express)

6.5. Successors and Assigns. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, the provisions of this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon, the successors, assigns, heirs, executors, and administrators of the parties; provided, however, that (a)neither any Group Company nor any Founding Shareholder shall assign this Agreement or any of its or his rights herein to any Person without the prior written consent of Alibaba, and (b)any Investor shall not assign this Agreement or any of its rights herein to any Person without the prior written consent of the Company and the Founder, provided further, however, that each party hereto shall be entitled to, without the consent of any Person, assign this Agreement or any of its or his rights herein to any of its or his Affiliates and any Person to whom such party transfers the Company Securities in accordance with the terms of this Agreement.

7.6. Successors and Assigns. Except as otherwise provided in this Agreement, the provisions of this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon, the successors, assigns, heirs, executors, and administrators of the parties; provided, however, that (a)the Company shall not assign this Agreement or any of its rights herein to any Person without the prior written consent of the Investors, and (b)each Investor shall not assign this Agreement or any of its rights herein to any Person without the prior written consent of the Company, provided further, however, that each Investor shall be entitled to, without the consent of any Person, assign this Agreement or any of its rights herein to any of its Affiliates and any Person to whom such Investor transfers the Company Securities in accordance with the terms of the Transaction Documents.

(b) Borrower understands that the Note Holder may transfer this Note. This Note shall be binding on Borrower and Borrower’s successors and assigns and shall inure to the benefit of Note Holder and its successors and assigns . Note Holder may assign, without the consent of Borrower, all or a portion of Note Holder’s rights under this Note and the other documents, instruments and agreements entered into in connection with the transactions contemplated hereby. Prior written notice of such assignment shall be given by Note Holder to Borrower. The Note Holder or anyone who takes this Note by transfer and who is entitled to receive payments under this Note is hereafter called the “Note Holder.” Borrower may not assign, transfer or delegate any of Borrower’s obligations or agreements hereunder. No amendment, modification or waiver of any provision of this Note shall be effective unless it is in writing and signed by the Note Holder and Borrower.

11/08/2019 (GlassBridge Enterprises, Inc.)

9.14. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the Parties and their respective successors, legal representatives and permitted assigns. No Party may assign any of its rights or delegate any of its obligations under this Agreement, by operation of Law or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the other Parties, provided that Parent and Merger Sub may assign any of their rights hereunder to a Subsidiary of Parent without the prior written consent of the Company, but any such assignment shall not relieve Parent or Merger Sub of any of its obligations hereunder. Any purported assignment in violation of this Agreement is void.

12/20/2016 (Destination Maternity Corp)

22. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective heirs, personal representatives, successors and assigns . No party may assign its rights or obligations under the Agreement except in the context of a Transfer that is not prohibited by the terms of this Agreement.

12.9 Successors and Assigns. The Plan is binding upon and will inure to the benefit of the Debtors, the Post-Effective Date Debtors, and each of their respective Agents, successors, and assigns, including, without limitation, any bankruptcy trustees or estate representatives.

05/07/2018 (MESA AIR GROUP INC)

3.2Successors and Assigns. Except as otherwise specifically set forth in this Agreement, the provisions hereof shall inure to the benefit of, and be binding upon, the successors, assigns, heirs, executors, and administrators of the parties hereto. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and assigns any rights, remedies, obligations, or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement, except as expressly provided by this Agreement.

(l)Successors and Assigns. Except as otherwise expressly provided herein, the provisions hereof shall inure to the benefit of, and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns ; provided, however, that prior to the receipt by the Company of adequate written notice of the transfer of any Common Stock or any Warrants to a Transferee specifying the full name and address of such Transferee, the Company may deem and treat the person listed as the holder of such Common Stock and/or Warrants in its records as the absolute owner and holder of such Common Stock and/or Warrants for all purposes.

Successors and Assigns. All covenants and agreements by or on behalf of Borrower contained in this Agreement or any Related Documents shall bind Borrower’s successors and assigns and shall inure to the benefit of Lender and its successors and assigns . Borrower shall not, however, have the right to assign Borrower’s rights under this Agreement or any interest therein, without the prior written consent of Lender.

Successors and Assigns. Subject to any limitations stated in this Agreement on transfer of Grantor’s interest, this Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties, their successors and assigns . If ownership of the Collateral becomes vested in a person other than Grantor, Lender, without notice to Grantor, may deal with Grantor’s successors with reference to this Agreement and the Indebtedness by way of forbearance or extension without releasing Grantor from the obligations of this Agreement or liability under the Indebtedness.

(g) Successors and Assigns. This Agreement will be binding upon my heirs, executors, administrators, and other legal representatives, and will be for the benefit of the Company, its successors, and its assigns.

10/02/2020 (Pivotal Investment Corp II)

(e) Successors and Assigns. The rights to cause the Company to register Registrable Securities under this Agreement may be transferred or assigned by each Holder to one or more transferees or assignees of Registrable Securities; provided, that any such transferee or assignee is an Affiliate of, and after such transfer or assignment continues to be an Affiliate of, such Holder and that each such transferee or assignee assumes in writing responsibility for its portion of the obligations of such transferring Holder under this Agreement. This Agreement shall bind and inure to the benefit and be enforceable by the Company and its successors and assigns and the Holders and their respective successors and assigns (whether so expressed or not). In addition, whether or not any express assignment has been made, the provisions of this Agreement which are for the benefit Holders are also for the benefit of, and enforceable by, any subsequent or successor Holder.

To induce Lender to execute the foregoing Amendment, Guarantor (a)agrees and consents to the execution and delivery of the Amendment and the terms thereof; (b)ratifies and confirms that all guaranties and assurances granted, conveyed or otherwise provided to Lender under the Loan Documents, including, but not limited to that certain GUARANTY AGREEMENT dated as of DECEMBER 14, 2011 (as the same may have been amended, modified or restated from time to time, the “Guaranty”), are not released, diminished, impaired, reduced, or otherwise adversely affected by the Amendment; (c)confirms and agrees that the Guaranty continues to guarantee and assure the payment and performance of the Indebtedness in accordance with its terms; (d)agrees to perform such acts and duly authorize, execute, acknowledge and deliver such additional guarantees, assurances and other documents, instruments and agreements as Lender may reasonably deem necessary or appropriate in order to create, perfect, preserve and protect those guaranties and assurances; and (e)waives notice of acceptance of this consent and confirmation, which consent and confirmation binds Guarantor and Guarantor’s successors and assigns and inures to Lender and its successors and assigns . The terms, conditions and provisions of the Guaranty (as the same may have been amended, modified or restated from time to time) are incorporated herein by reference, as if stated verbatim herein.

12/11/2018 (Legacy Housing Corp)

15. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding on and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto, their successors in interest and assigns.

03/11/2019 (Dermavant Sciences Ltd)

7. Successors and Assigns. This Assignment and Assumption Agreement shall bind and inure to the benefit of the respective successors and assigns of DSG and RSG.

6. Binding Effect; Governing Law. Except as modified hereby, the Lease shall remain in full effect and this letter shall be binding upon Landlord and Tenant and their respective successors and assigns . If any inconsistency exists or arises between the terms of this letter and the terms of the Lease, the terms of this letter shall prevail. This letter shall be governed by the laws of the state in which the Premises are located.

d. Successors and Assigns. Director may not assign this Release Agreement or any of his rights and duties hereunder. Company may assign this Release Agreement to an entity controlled by or under common control with Company or to an entity that acquires all or substantially all of the stock or assets of Company. The provisions of this Release Agreement shall be binding on and shall inure to the benefit of Director, Company and their respective assigns, including any successor in interest to Company who acquires all or substantially all of Company’s stock or assets.

07/26/2019 (Crypto Co)

10. Public Announcements: Except with respect to LBCC to satisfy its disclosure requirements under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, unless otherwise required by law (based upon the reasonable advice of counsel), no Party shall make any public announcements in respect of this Agreement or the C&E Agreement or the transactions contemplated thereby or otherwise communicate with any news media without the prior written consent of the other parties, and the parties shall cooperate as to the timing and contents of any such announcement. 11. Entire Agreement: This Agreement contains the entire understanding of the Parties with respect to the matters covered herein and therein and, except as specifically set forth herein, neither the SBL nor LBCC makes any representation, warranty, covenant or undertaking with respect to such matters. 12. Survival of Agreement, Representations and Warranties: All representations and warranties contained herein shall survive the execution and delivery of this Agreement. 13. Successors and Assigns: This Agreement shall bind and inure to the benefit of and be enforceable by the Parties and their respective successors and assigns . 14. Governing Law; Venue: This Agreement and the obligations, rights, remedies of the Parties hereto are to be constructed in accordance with and governed by the laws of the State of Delaware, with any action/dispute concerning this Agreement to be commenced exclusively in the state and federal courts sitting in the State of Delaware. 15. Miscellaneous: This Agreement embodies the entire agreement and understanding between the Parties hereto and supersedes all prior agreements and understanding relating to the subject matter hereof. This Agreement may be executed in two counterparts but all such counterparts shall together constitute but one and the same instrument.

04/25/2019 (Long Blockchain Corp.)

3. Binding Effect. The execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Lender and Borrower shall be binding upon each party hereto and their respective successors and assigns . This Agreement is final and irrevocable.

08/21/2017 (Helpful Alliance Co)

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the mutual covenants contained herein and other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which is hereby acknowledged, the parties agree and acknowledge that the Warrant shall be cancelled immediately upon execution of this Addendum 1 to the Settlement (“Addendum 1”) and that all rights and entitlements of the Lender for the Shares under the Warrant shall be irrevocably nulled and void. The execution and delivery of this Agreement by the Lender and Borrower shall be binding upon each party hereto and their respective successors and assigns . This Addendum 1 is final. The Lender acknowledges that it had an ample opportunity to review this Addendum 1, to obtain independent legal counsel to review this Addendum 1, and an election by the Lender not to obtain such legal counsel shall release the Borrower from any prerequisite to require such counsel. This Amendment shall be treated as part of the Settlement, and hence governed by, and construed under the laws of the State of Florida with further choice of courts located in Broward County, Florida.

11.7 Successors and Assigns. Neither this Agreement nor any rights or obligations hereunder may be assigned in whole or in part by either Party, by operation of law, or otherwise, without the prior written consent of the other Party; provided, however, that (a)without the prior written consent of Dermavant, NovaQuest may assign or transfer this Agreement in whole or in part to any Affiliate of NovaQuest and NovaQuest may assign, sell, pledge, contribute, or otherwise transfer its right to payment pursuant to Article IV (Dermavant’s Payments) hereof to any Person other than a competitor of Dermavant; and (b)without the prior written consent of NovaQuest, Dermavant may assign this Agreement to Dermavant Sciences Limited or any Controlled Affiliate, provided that NovaQuest is not adversely affected by such assignment and provided further that unless Dermavant remains directly liable for all obligations hereunder, Dermavant and NovaQuest shall first enter into a guarantee agreement [***] pursuant to which Dermavant will guarantee the payment obligations of Dermavant Sciences Limited or the Controlled Affiliate, as the case may be. This Agreement shall be binding upon, and subject to the terms of the foregoing sentence, inure to the benefit of the Parties hereto, their permitted successors, legal representatives, and assigns. Any assignment or attempted assignment not in accordance with this Section11.7 (Successors and Assigns) shall be null and void. For clarity, NovaQuest’s prior written consent is not required in connection with an Initial Public Offering. In no event shall any assignee of NovaQuest hereunder be entitled to any greater benefit of any payment of additional amount under Section4.4 or any recalculation of interest under Section4.6 than what NovaQuest would have been entitled to, except to the extent such entitlement to receive a greater payment results from a change in Applicable Law that occurs after the date of such assignment.

05/24/2019 (Dermavant Sciences Ltd)

15.3 Successors and Assigns. This Agreement may not be assigned or otherwise conveyed by any Party without the prior written consent of the other Parties; provided however that such prior written consent will not be required for an assignment to an Affiliate of a Party. This Agreement shall be binding on and inure to the benefit of the Parties hereto and their respective successors, successors in title and assigns to the extent that such assignment is permitted under this paragraph.

Section29.11 shall inure to the benefit of Landlord’s and the Landlord Parties’ present and future partners, beneficiaries, officers, directors, trustees, shareholders, agents and employees, and their respective partners, heirs, successors and assigns . Under no circumstances shall any present or future partner of Landlord (if Landlord is a partnership), or trustee or beneficiary (if Landlord or any partner of Landlord is a trust), have any liability for the performance of Landlord’s obligations under this Lease. Notwithstanding any contrary provision herein, neither Landlord nor the Landlord Parties shall be liable under any circumstances for injury or damage to, or interference with, Tenant’s business, including but not limited to, loss of profits, loss of rents or other revenues, loss of business opportunity, loss of goodwill or loss of use, in each case, however occurring.

Section 14.2 Successors and Assigns. This Deed of Trust shall be binding upon, and shall inure to the benefit of, Borrower and Lender and their respective successors and permitted assigns, as set forth in the Loan Agreement. Lender shall have the right, without the consent of Borrower, to assign or transfer its rights under this Deed of Trust in connection with any assignment of the Loan and the Loan Documents. Any assignee or transferee of Lendershall be entitled to all the benefits afforded to Lender under this Deed of Trust. Borrower shall not have the right to assign or transfer its rights or obligations under this Deed of Trust without the prior written consent of Lender, as provided in the Loan Agreement, and any attempted assignment without such consent shall be null and void.

03/25/2020 (Lodging Fund REIT III, Inc.)

Section 14.2 Successors and Assigns. This Deed of Trust shall be binding upon, andshallinuretothebenefitof,BorrowerandLenderandtheirrespectivesuccessorsandpermitted assigns, as set forth in the Loan Agreement. Lender shall have the right, without the consent of Borrower, to assign or transfer its rights under this Deed of Trust in connection with any assignment of the Loan and the Loan Documents. Any assignee or transferee of Lender shall be entitled to all the benefits afforded to Lender under this Deed of Trust. Borrower shall not have the right to assign or transfer its rights or obligations under this Deed of Trust without the prior written consent of Lender, as provided in the Loan Agreement, and any attempted assignment without such consent shall be null andvoid.

7.04Successors and Assigns. Subject to the foregoing, this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto, their respective heirs, legal representatives, successors and assigns , and with respect to Owner, the phrase “ successors and assigns ” shall include purchasers of Owner’s interest in the Business.

7. Successors and Assigns. This Amendment shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of, the parties hereto and their respective successors, administrators andassigns.

9.Successors and Assigns. This Amendment shall be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of, the parties hereto and their respective successors, administrators and assigns.

Section 17.1. Indemnification by Owner.Except for liabilities incurred by Manager due to the gross negligence, willful misconduct or fraud of Manager, its employees or other agents, Owner hereby indemnifies, defends and holds harmless Manager and its Affiliates and each of their respective officers, directors, shareholders, employees, representatives and agents (collectively, the "Manager Indemnitees"), from and against any and all losses, costs, damages, liabilities, claims, actions and expenses whatsoever (including, without limitation, reasonable attorneys' fees and court expenses), incurred by any of the Manager Indemnitees arising out of, as a result of, or in connection with operation of the Hotel, including, without limitation, (i)the performance by Manager or its Affiliates of its services hereunder, including, without limitation, any and all obligations incurred relating to any agreements with third parties entered into by Manager or Owner in connection with the management or operation of the Hotel, (ii)any act or omission (whether or not willful, tortious, or negligent) of Owner or any third party (except those for which Manager expressly indemnifies Owner hereunder), or (iii)any other occurrence related to the Hotel or Manager's duties under this Agreement (except those for which Manager expressly indemnifies Owner hereunder).TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW, THE OBLIGATIONS OF OWNER IN THE PRECEDING SENTENCE SHALL APPLY NOTWITHSTANDING THE NEGLIGENCE OF ANY OF THE MANAGER INDEMNITEES, WHETHER SUCH NEGLIGENCE IS SOLE, CONCURRENT, CONTRIBUTORY OR OTHERWISE.Owner may apply the proceeds of any available insurance to the payment of any claim under the indemnity set forth in this ‎Section 17.1.The provisions of this ‎Section 17.1 shall survive the expiration or termination of this Agreement and shall be binding upon Owner's successors and assigns .The Manager Indemnitees shall not invoke this indemnity for anything to the extent covered by insurance.

6.1 Successors and Assigns. The rights under this Agreement may be assigned (but only with all related obligations) by a Holder to a transferee of Registrable Securities that (i)is an Affiliate of a Holder; (ii)is a Holder’s Immediate Family Member or trust for the benefit of an individual Holder or one or more of such Holder’s Immediate Family Members; or (iii)after such transfer, holds at least 100,000 shares of Registrable Securities (subject to appropriate adjustment for stock splits, stock dividends, combinations, and other recapitalizations); provided, however, that (x)the Company is, within a reasonable time after such transfer, furnished with written notice of the name and address of such transferee and the Registrable Securities with respect to which such rights are being transferred; and (y)such transferee agrees in a written instrument delivered to the Company to be bound by and subject to the terms and conditions of this Agreement, including the provisions of Subsection 2.11. For the purposes of determining the number of shares of Registrable Securities held by a transferee, the holdings of a transferee (1)that is an Affiliate or stockholder of a Holder; (2)who is a Holder’s Immediate Family Member; or (3)that is a trust for the benefit of an individual Holder or such Holder’s Immediate Family Member shall be aggregated together and with those of the transferring Holder; provided further that all transferees who would not qualify individually for assignment of rights shall have a single attorney-in-fact for the purpose of exercising any rights, receiving notices, or taking any action under this Agreement. The terms and conditions of this Agreement inure to the benefit of and are binding upon the respective successors and permitted assignees of the parties. Nothing in this Agreement, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and permitted assignees any rights, remedies, obligations or liabilities under or by reason of this Agreement, except as expressly provided herein.

02/01/2021 (Northern Star Acquisition Corp.)

4. Successors and Assigns. Except as otherwise provided herein, the terms and conditions of this Amendment shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the respective successors and assigns of the parties.

13.1 Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall bind and inure to the benefit of the respective successors and permitted assigns of each of the parties; provided, however, that neither this Agreement nor any rights hereunder may be assigned by a Borrower without Bank’s prior written consent, which consent may be granted or withheld in Bank’s sole discretion. Bank shall have the right without the consent of or notice to a Borrower to sell, transfer, negotiate, or grant participation in all or any part of, or any interest in, Bank’s obligations, rights and benefits hereunder; provided however that, Bank shall not effectuate any of the foregoing if such action would result in Western Alliance Bank (or its Affiliates) no longer acting as “Bank” hereunder without the prior written consent of Borrowers (which consent shall not be unreasonably withheld, conditioned or delayed). Notwithstanding the foregoing, no consent of Borrowers shall be required for any of the foregoing actions if such action occurs following an Event of Default, or is in connection with the sale or disposition of Bank or all or a portion of Bank’s loan portfolio, or any merger, acquisition or corporate reorganization affecting Bank.

e. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of both parties and their respective successors and assigns , including any corporation with which, or into which, the Company may be merged or which may succeed to the Company’s assets or business, provided, however, that the obligations of the Employee are personal and shall not be assigned by him or her. The Employee over expressly consents to be bound by the provisions of this Agreement for the benefit of the Company or any subsidiary or affiliate thereof to whose employ the Employee may be transferred without the necessity that this Agreement be re-signed at the time of such transfer. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if the Company is merged with or into a third party which is engaged in multiple lines of business, or if a third party engaged in multiple lines of business succeeds to the Company’s assets or business, then for purposes of Section3(a), the term “Company’s Business” shall mean and refer to the business of the Company as it existed immediately prior to such event and as it subsequently develops and not to the third party’s other businesses.

e. Successors and Assigns. This Agreement shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of both parties and their respective successors and assigns , including any corporation with which, or into which, the Company may be merged or which may succeed to the Company’s assets or business, provided, however, that the obligations of the Puppy Lover are personal and shall not be assigned by him or her. The Puppy Lover expressly consents to be bound by the provisions of this Agreement for the benefit of the Company or any subsidiary or affiliate thereof to whose employ the Puppy Lover may be transferred without the necessity that this Agreement be re-signed at the time of such transfer.

Successors and Assigns. This Note shall be binding upon the Maker and its successors and shall inure to the benefit of the Payee and his successors and assigns . The term “Payee” as used herein, shall also include any endorsee, assignee or other holder of this Note.

09/06/2016 (PostAds, Inc.)

10.Successors and Assigns. Except as otherwise provided herein, the terms and conditions of this Note shall inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the respective successors and assigns of the parties. Nothing in this Note, express or implied, is intended to confer upon any party other than the parties hereto or their respective successors and assigns any rights, remedies, obligations, or liabilities under or by reason of this Note, except as expressly provided in this Note.

03/29/2018 (SUMMER ENERGY HOLDINGS INC)

19.Binding Effect. The Note will be binding upon, and inure to the benefit of Lender, and their successors and assigns . Borrower may not delegate its obligations under the Note.

SECTION 13. Successors and Assigns. This Amendment shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the parties hereto and their respective successors and assigns . No Credit Party’s rights or obligations hereunder nor any interest therein may be assigned or delegated by any Credit Party without the prior written consent of all Lenders and any assignment in contravention of the foregoing shall be absolutely void.

08/11/2020 (FaceBank Group, Inc.)

Cut contract prep time in half for free

Build document automations that allow you, your staff, and your clients to auto-populate contract templates.

“ I've found it very easy to use. It allows me to work quickly, get something straight from my head and out into the public.”

Partner, Siskind Susser PC

2500 Executive Parkway Suite 300 Lehi, Utah 84043 (866) 638-3627

Level 11, 1 Margaret Street Sydney NSW 2000 Australia +61 2 8310 4319

8th Floor South Reading Bridge House George Street Reading RG1 8LS +44 20 3129 9324

Latin America

Mexico +52 55 5985 3005

Brazil +55 21 4040 4623

• How to Successfully Switch Your DMS
• DocuSign + NetDocuments
• How Ice Miller Adopted the Cloud Completely Remote
• Case Studies
• Resource Library
• Partner Integrations
• App Directory
• Locate a Partner
• Partner Portal
• Become a Partner

© NetDocuments Software, Inc.

• Terms of Use
• Privacy policy
• Cookie policy
• Privacy policy for california residents

• Find a Lawyer
• Ask a Lawyer
• Research the Law
• Law Schools
• Laws & Regs
• Newsletters
• Justia Connect
• Pro Membership
• Basic Membership
• Justia Lawyer Directory
• Platinum Placements
• Gold Placements
• Justia Elevate
• Justia Amplify
• PPC Management
• Google Business Profile
• Social Media
• Justia Onward Blog

Binding Effect Successors and Assigns Contract Clauses (107)

Grouped into 3 collections of similar clauses from business contracts.

• Bankruptcy Lawyers
• Business Lawyers
• Criminal Lawyers
• Employment Lawyers
• Estate Planning Lawyers
• Family Lawyers
• Personal Injury Lawyers
• Estate Planning
• Personal Injury
• Business Formation
• Business Operations
• Intellectual Property
• International Trade
• Real Estate
• Financial Aid
• Course Outlines
• Law Journals
• US Constitution
• Regulations
• Supreme Court
• Circuit Courts
• District Courts
• Dockets & Filings
• State Constitutions
• State Codes
• State Case Law
• Legal Blogs
• Business Forms
• Product Recalls
• Justia Connect Membership
• Justia Premium Placements
• Justia Elevate (SEO, Websites)
• Justia Amplify (PPC, GBP)
• Testimonials

Updated Website Design for  Convenience

Updated Website Design for  Convenience

• Model Letters
• Speak with Alan
• Being “Managed Out?”
• Share Website

“In a ‘successors-and-assigns’ clause, what are the employee’s heirs obligated and entitled to?”

• Post author: Alan L Sklover
• Post published: 07/14/12

Question: What are the employees’ heirs’ responsibilities if he dies, and there is a “successors-and-assigns clause?”

If an employment contract for a pilot says that the agreement inures to his heirs, would the company be obligated to employ the heirs as pilots? That can’t be right, but that is the objection to this clause that I am hearing.

Citation Pilot

Answer: Dear Citation Pilot: The objection you are hearing has no basis. And, it is easily remedied.

1. An employment contract is a contract for personal services, and the “personal services” part of the contract cannot be assumed by heirs. As I often say, the law is essentially comprised of common sense, handed down from one generation to the next, slowly but surely adapted to the changes in society. In the law, a contract for personal services – which is what an employment contract is – can have a valid and enforceable “successors and assigns” clause, but the personal services part is not part of it. Your situation, that of a pilot whose heirs may not be good pilots, or pilots at all, is a perfect example. It is the same for all personal services.

2. With a successors and assigns clause in an employment contract, the employee’s heirs would be entitled to the economic benefits, and responsible for the economic burdens, which are not “personal” to the employee. If, say, the employee passed away on a Thursday, and had already worked Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, then the employee’s heirs would be entitled to (a) his or her salary for the days worked, as well as any other monies previously earned but not paid, such as (b) commissions, (c) quarterly bonuses for previous calendar quarters, (d) stock awarded and vested, (e) business expenses incurred but not yet reimbursed, and, depending on the state in which the employee worked, (f) accrued but unused vacation pay.

On the other hand, if the employee passed away on a Thursday, and the employee had already been paid for the entire week, then the heirs would be responsible to return to the employer (a) the two days of pay not earned, as well as such things as (b) any company property at the employee’s home (cell phone, computer and car), (c) outstanding loans or advances in pay given to the employee, (d) accidental overpayments made to the employee, (e) any  monies the employee may have embezzled.

3. Here, “heirs” does not mean the “heirs, personally,” but the “estate of the deceased employee,” which is later distributed to the heirs . When a person passes away, all of their assets and all of their debts are considered their “estate” and if the sum total is “in the positive,” it is then distributed to their heirs according to the person’s Will or, if no Will exists, according to the family members in a certain order determined by the law of each state. Please understand that the heirs are not “personally” entitled to the monies due the employee, and the heirs are not “personally” obligated to return overpayments. Instead, these monies – owed or to be repaid – are due to the employee’s estate, and from the employee’s estate, which, if any balance is left over, is then distributed to the heirs.  

5. Here is a quick and easy solution to your issue, requiring just four new words. Sometimes, being a little clearer in words calms people down, and enables the parties to move forward. While I don’t think it is necessary from a legal point of view, how about proposing this quick and easy fix to the problem. While the usual successors and assigns clause says “This contract shall be binding upon and inure to the benefit of the employer’s and employee’s respective successors, assigns and heirs,” just modify the language slightly by inserting four little words, to “The financial aspects of” in the front of the sentence, so it reads “The financial aspects of this contract shall be binding upon and inure to the  benefit of the employer’s and employee’s respective successors, assigns and heirs.”

I hope – and expect – this helps you understand this legal “glitch,” and how easily the use of common sense and a few words can so often get employers and employees what each of them – usually – truly wants: to work together on a fair basis. 

Thanks for writing in, and hope this gets you “off the ground.” 

Best, Al Sklover

  Repairing the World – One Empowered and Productive Employee at a Time ™

© 2012 Alan L. Sklover, All Rights Reserved.

Share this article:

• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)